Typewriting machine



June 30, 1925. 1,544,240

A. G. F. KUROWSKI TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed March 24. 1923 Patented June 30, 1925.

isaaz ia warren STATESPATENT oFFicE.

ALFRED G. F. KUR-OWSKI, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'IO UNDERWOOD;

TYPEHBITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION" OF DELA- "WARE.

TYPEWR-ITING MACHINE.

Application filed March 24, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

is it known that I, ALFRED G. F. KU- ROWSKI, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn Borough, in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to typewriting machines. More particularly, the invention relates to platen-carriage-releasing devices controlled by tabulator or column stop mechanism, to the end that the carriage is released concomitantly with the setting of the column or tabulator stop by the usual keyconnections therefor.

In typewriting machines, the carriage is ordinarily urged in letter-feed direction by a spring-drum, and the letter-feed movement of the carriage is ordinarily controlled by escapcment mechanism actuated by the type-keys, and co-operating with a rack on the carriage. In certain work, such, for instance, as in tabulating, it is, however, des sirable to release the carriage from the es-' capement mechanism, so that it may be promptly thrown by the spring-drum to desired column position; the column position being determined by a column or tabulator stop set by a special key and connections therefor. The setting of the stop and the release of the carriage being concomitant actions, the stop or its operating connections have been conveniently used for releasing the carriage-rack from the escapement mechanism. In the standard Underwood machine, for instance, a finger on the column or tabulator stop operates, when the stop is set, to rock a lever which lifts the carriage-rack from a pinion forming part of the escape ment mechanism.

It occasionally happens that, in throwing the platen-carriage to a stop, such as the right-hand marginal stop, the carriage-rack is momentarily and accidentally disengaged from the escapement mechanism; so'that, before reengagement of the rack with the escapement mechanism, the carriage has slipped one or more letter-feed spaces from proper position; thereby causing irregularities in the work.

An object of the present invention is the provision of means for utilizing the column or tabulator stop, or connections therefor, to

eri al No. 627,263,

lock the carriage-releasing means, so that the rack may not be disengaged fromits escapement mechanism exceptwhen the column or tabulator stop is operated; or, in other words, so that, when the column or tabulator stop is in its normal, unset posi-' tion, as when the carriage is being returned to the right-hand marginal stop, accidental disengagement of the rack from its escapement mechanism will be prevented, by reason of the fact that the column or tabulator stopis in such .unset position.

A lever having a roll thereon, for supporting the rack in itsnormal or effective posi tion, may be employed for disengaging the rack from the escapement mechanism, and a finger on the column or tabulator stop employed for operatingthe'lever to disengage the rack and release the carriage when such stop is operated.

In this construction, a feature of the present invention is the provision of a shoulder, such, for instance, as a crooked finger, on the rack-release lever, and another shoulder or finger on the tabulator-stop in the path of the shoulder. on the release-lever; so that, when the tabulator-stop is in unset position, the release-lever is locked by abutment 0f the two shoulders; and so that, in setting the stop, the shoulders are moved out of alignment to unlock the releaselever.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means whereby a column or tabulator stop (utilized both to operate a carriage-release device when the stop is set and to lock the carriage-release device when the stop 1s unset) operates, in one continuous movement to set position, first to unlock the carriage-release lever, and then to'actuat-e the carriage-release lever.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, 7

Figure 1 is a view, in side elevation, of so much of the mechanism of a typewriting machine as involves the present invention; the tabulator-stop frame being in normal, ineffective position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to lligure 1, showing the position of the parts assumed on partial depression of the tabulator-key; the safety device for holding the roll-lever being released before the movementof the tabulator-stop frame by the key has pro-- riageythe letter-feed movement of'the car- V rack.

'main frame 15.- I

platen-carriage 1n letter-feed direction 1s ef-i leased from its pinion.

gressed far enough to release the carriage- Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures :1 and 2, showing the position vassumed by the parts when the tabulator-stop frame is in effective position and the carriage-rack re- The platen 10, on an axle 11, is jcurnaled ;inthe platen-frame 12 on the carriage13,

mounted to have movement in letterfeed andreturn directions .on a; rail 14011 the The movement of the fected by the usual spring-drum 15 the strap 15 of which is connected to the carriage under the action of the 'spring-drmrt being, however, controlled by dogs 16 and 17 on 'a dog-rocker 18, operated through wellsknown connections (not shown), in-

- eluding a universal bar actuated by the type keys. For controlling letter-space feed of the platen-carriage, the dogs l6 and 17 co operate with an escapement wheel 19, fast on a shaft with a pinion 20, adapted to be engaged by a rack 21, connected to the carriage The rack 21 is supported on arms 22, pivoted at 23 to the sides of the carriage. These arms are adapted to be swung up to lift the rack out of engagement with the pinion 20, and thereby to release the car;

riage from the control of the escapement niechanism, so that the'carriage may be thrown by the spring-drum from one'to an other column or tabulating position'deten mined by stops. When, by reason of grav-' ity drop, the rack 21' is in engagement with therpinion 20, it rides upon and is supported by a roll 24, carried on a lever 25, pivoted at 26 to the escapement-frame member 27.v

A stop-screw 28, threaded into an car 29 on thelever 25, by abutment with a shoulder 30, on the frame-piece 27, determines the 7 normal position of the lever and rack-suplever (not shown), the finger 31, by engagement with and depression of the tail-piece 36 of the lever 25, swings the latter ina direction to throw the rack up out of engagement with the pinion 20. i V

The link 35 is pivotally connected at 37 to a tabulator-stop frame shown as of the style found in the Underwood machine. Rigidly secured to the cross-bar 32 of this bar. along, a shaft 42, carried by the arms 38,

frame, at each end thereof, isan arm, 88, the upper ends of wlnch are connected by a bar 39. The face 40 of the bar 39 1s graduated'to present a letter-space scale; and a rack 41 is formed on theunder sideiofthis Pivoted on, and slidably adjusted are the tabulator-stops, one of which 43 is shown in the drawings. Thetabulator-stop is in the form of a blade, the upper edge 44 of which is adapted to co-operate with'the teeth of the rack 41; By means of a fingerpiece 45, unitary therewitlnthe blade may be rocked on the rod 42 to be disengaged from the rack 41,- whereupon, also, by means of the finger-piece 45, the stop may be slid along the rod 42 to desired column or tabulating position, indicated by registration of a pointer 46 on the stop with the graduations of the scale 40. Thereupon the stop is swung angularly forward to cause the blade to enter between the slotted teeth ofthe rack 41, and, by the latter, to be held against longitudinalmovement onrthe rod 42. Suitablemeans (not shown) are provided for holding the stop against angular displacementfrom'the rack 41.1 e o 1 With the stop in selected position on the tabu-lato-r-stop frame,itmay be swung with the latter by means ofthe tabulator-key and link 35 from Figure 1 to Figure 3 position, In the Figure 3 position, a tooth 47 on the'stop-blade 43 lies in the-path of, afixed stop 48' on the carriage-frame 13; When, therefore, the tabulator-stop frame, is in. Figure 3 positi0n,*and thecarriage released to the action of the drum-spring, the fixed stop 48 on the carriage,,after the predetermined throw of the latter, will strike the tooth 47 of the tabulator-stop and be arrested by the latter, because the latter is held by the rack 41 against movement longitudinally of the shaft 42. The front face 49 of the bar 39, by engagement with a brake-band or bar 50 on .thecarria-ge, serves to determine the forward throw of the tabulator-stop frame by the link 35,-and to break the force of the throw of the carriage under the action of the drum-spring- Upon re. lease of the talmlator-key, the tabulator stop frame, whether by the gravity action of the rack 21, acting through the lever 25, or by other 'means (not shown), is returned toFigurel posit-ion. s

It has been found that, in throwing the carriage to the marginal stop at thestarting position of a line, or portion of a line, the impactrof the carriage against such mar ginal stop, may result in throwing the lever 25 with the roll 24 up in such manner as to momentarily disengage the rack 21 from the pinion 20: -W hen the rack thereupon, by gravity, falls again into engagement with the pinion 20, the carriage may have slipped a distance of one or moreletter-spaces from had true starting position, thus causing inaccuracies in writing. For preventing such undesired action of the lever 25 and roll 24, and for preventing any movement of the lever 25 with the roll 24;, except when such movement is desired to disengage the rack upon operation of the tabulator-key, the lever is provided with a suitable member, here shown as an upward and rearward off set finger 51, the rear end 52 of which, when the parts are in Figure l position, directly registers with and engages a second member, shownas a finger 53, secured to, and eX- tending forward froin, the bar 32 of the tabulator-stop frai e. The end 52 of the finger 51 is preferably beveled upward and rearward in a manner better to cause the lever 25 to be locked by the linger 53 on the tabulator-stop frame in the Figure 1 position of the arts, so that the lever 25 cannot, at such time, be swung clockwise around its pivot 26 to lift, the rack.

lVhen, however, through it the link 35, is operated to swing the tabulatorstop frame in counter-clockwise direction, from Figure 1 to Figure '3 position, the finger 53 on the tabulator-stop frame, as shown in Figure 2, moves out of registration with the finger 51 on the lever 25, before the tabulator-stop tooth 4L7 gets into the path of the fixed stop 48 on the carriage, and before the finger 31 on the tabulator-stop frame has had occasion to release the rack by actuation of the lever 25 through its tail-piece 36. As depression of the tabulator-stop key is, however, continued, and, after the stop or look fingers 51 and 53 are out of registration (so that the lever 25 is free to be swung), the tabulator-stop completes its movement to bring the tooth 47 into the path of the stop -18, and to cause the finger 31 to act upon the lever 25, to release the rack. Upon release of the talmlator-key, the parts return from Figure 3 to Figure 1 position, thereby again locking the lever 25 against release with the rack.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

laving thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a typewriting machine having a.

the tabulator-key, and v said frame and said carriage releasing means fornormal'ly' renderingsaid carriagereleasing means inoperative;

"24111 a typewri'ting machine'having a platen-carriage mounted for letter-space" movement, a rack forsaid carriage, an escapement co-operative with said rack to con trol said carriagem'oveinent, means for'dis-" engaging 'saidrack fronr said escapement to'release said carriage, stop mechanism for said carriage, said stop-mechanism including a frame having a stop movable into the path of said "carriage, means for con comitantly operating said stop-mechanism and said carriage-releasing means, and lock ing means operative directly between said frame and said carriage-releasing means for normally rendering said carriage-releasing means inoperative, said locking means being rendered inoperative during movement of said stop-mechanism by said operating means, permitting release ofsaid" carriage; 3. In a typewriting machine having a platen-carriage mounted for letter-space movement, a rack for said carriage, "an escapement co operativ'e'with said rack to controlsaid carriage movement, means for disengaging said rack from s'aid escapement to release said carriage, stop-mechanism for said carriage, said stop-mechanism includ ing a frame having a stop movable into the path' of said carriage, means 7 for con comitantly operating said stop-mechanism and said carriage-releasing means, and locking means operative directly between said frame and said carriage-releasing means for normally rendering said carriage-releasing means inoperative, said locking means comprising a plurality of co-operative members, one of said members being located in said disengaging means and another being located in said frame, said members being rendered inoperative during movement of said stop-mechanism by said operating means, permitting release of said carriage.

l. In a typewriting machine having a platen-carriage mounted for letter-space movement, a rack for said carriage, an es-- capement co-operative with said rack to controlisaid carriage movement, a pivoted lever for disengaging said rack from said escapement to release said carriage, a stop-frame having a stop movable into the path of said carriage, operative means on said frame for engaging one end of said pivoted lever, means for moving said stop-frame and tilting said pivoted lever, and a plurality of co-operative members, one on said pivoted lever and one on said frame for normally locking the pivoted lever against movement, said locking members being inoperative during engagement of said pivoted lever by said operative means.

5. In a typewriting machine having a platen-carriage mounted for letter-space movement, a rack for said carriage, an es: capement QOl-QPBIfltl VQWlthSttld rack to control said carriage movement,ia"pivotedlever for disengaging said rack from said escapementv to release, said carriage, a stop-frame having a stop movable into the path of said carriage,-operative means on said frame for ongagingrone end of said pivoted lever, means for moving said stop-frame and tilting said pivoted lever,and a plurality of cooperative members, one on said pivoted lever and one on said frame, said members hav ing'inclined meeting portions calculated to normally look the pivoted lever against movement and to release said pivoted lever before its engagement with saidv operative means.

6. In a typewriting machine having a platen-carriage mounted for r letter-space movement, a rack for said carriage, an escapement co-operative With said rack to control said carriage movement, a pivoted lever for disengaging said rack from said escapementto release saidcarriage, a stop-frame having a stop movable into the path of said carriage, an operating finger on said frame for engaging one end of said pivoted lever,

Q jtabulatonkey-operated means for moving said stop-frame and causing said operating finger to tilt said pivoted lever, and a plu- "rality of fingers, one on said pivoted lever and one onsaid frame, for normally look-- ing the pivoted lever against movement, said locking fingers being rendered inoperative before said operating finger actuates said pivoted lever.

7. Ina typewriting machine having a platen-carriage mounted for letter-space movement, 'a rack for said carriage, an es-u capement co-operative with said rack to control said carriage movement, a pivoted lever for disengaging sald rack from said escape a ment to release said carriage, a stop-frame having a stop movable into the path of said carriage, an operating finger on said; frame for engaging one end ofsaid pivoted lever,

tabulator-key-operated means for moving.

said stop-frame and 'causing said operating finger to'tilt said pivoted lever, and a plurality' of fingers, one on said pivoted lever and one on said frame, said locking fingers having inclined meeting portions calculated to normally look said pivoted lever against said frame and to release said pivoted lever upon operation of said tabulator-key-oper: atedmeans.

' ALFRED G. F. KUROWSKI.

I Witnesses:

MARION R. MGCAFFREY, JENNIE P. THORNE. 

